JAMAICA TRIP

I was again invited to the Half Moon Resort Ambassador Awards weekend event in Jamaica. This event honors all their major suppliers.

If you have not been to Jamaica or stayed at this property let me give you a quick overview of how the other half lives. It is truly a five star property, but very low keyed. They are accustomed to Royalty, old money, new money, those seeking solace, those needing a one upmanship conversation piece and for those who just want to recapture romance. There is something for everyone on this 400 acre property.

Arriving at the new airport in Montego Bay, the immigration process was very quick and of course you are ushered out into the arrival hall where there is a Half Moon hospitality centre to welcome you and take care of your transportation and amenities. Refreshments of course is provided. The hotel is approximately 15 minutes from the airport, so your travel time is quite short.

To enter this property, is like visiting an enchanted garden. Simply awesome. My room was a small home. Master bedroom suite with four poster bed and separate living room: french doors in the back and front, leading to private terrace. See photos.

The weekend was full of activities and the evenings always another spectacular event. The Ambassador Awards evening is black tie and truly lives up to its billing.

While there, you must visit the Spa. Had a one hour facial that puts you into another realm. They are the best. You can stay in the meditation room (see photo) or relax with a cup of local tea or do full his & hers body massage. I prefer to sit outside under the palm tree and watch the Dolphins. It was sad to leave, but had two days to prepare for my upcoming trip to London.

ECONOMY

Saw this article and thought if might be of interest to my advertisers. Do not like to be the bearer of bad news, but the reality is that consumers and businesses are having a tough time in this economy.

The Bridal Market continues to buck this trend, couples are still getting married and adding to the revenue stream of destinations and suppliers. Of course most of this is being done online.

" Mag Bag: Ad Pages Drop, Holiday Season Looks Grim by Erik Sass, Thursday, Nov 6, 2008 5:26 PM ET Ad Pages Drop, Holiday Season Looks Grim

As the economy continues its downward spiral, consumer spending is dropping, and retailers are bracing for a dismal holiday season. That's bad news for magazines, where ad pages are basically in free-fall, with the declines accelerating from month to month.

As of July, the total ad pages of approximately 210 leading weekly and monthly magazines were down 6.4% for the year-to-date, according to MIN Online. However, by November, the year-to-date decline had widened to 8.5%. A 10% cumulative decline by December is not inconceivable, given worsening economic trends.

On Oct. 28, the Conference Board announced that its consumer confidence index had plummeted to an all-time low of about 38 out of 100, a drop of over one-third from its level of 61.4 in September. The expectations index--which evaluates consumer sentiment about the future--went even lower, dropping from 61.5 to 35.5. Lynn Franco, director of the Conference Board's research center, said the decline in the confidence index was "the lowest reading on record" since the index began tracking consumer attitudes in 1985.

Just a few days later, the Commerce Department said consumer spending slid 3.1% in the third quarter--the biggest drop since 1980, while the economy contracted by 0.3% in the third quarter. A survey of purchasing managers showed the biggest drop in inventory purchases since 1968 in October; the Institute for Supply Management said its index tumbled to 37.8%, exceeding all 58 forecasts assembled by Bloomberg News. That is significantly lower than the level of 56.7% at the beginning of the recession in 2001. The 50-point level marks the dividing line between business growth and contraction, according to Bloomberg.

Retailers are already cutting back on advertising in a big way. According to Ad Age, Macy's said it will eliminate all magazine advertising in the first half of 2009, although its holiday marketing budget is still largely intact. Subsequently, The New York Times reported that Neiman's specialty retail segment--including Neiman Marcus Stores and Bergdorf Goodman--saw sales tumble 27.6% in October, while Nordstrom is down 15.7%, and Target fell 4.8%.

Even More Layoffs

The magazine business is not done chopping, according to Gawker.com, which said Thursday afternoon that M. Shanken Communications, publisher of Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado, is laying off 20 staffers. The New York Times also reported that Eric Schurenberg, the managing editor of Money, was let go as part of Time Inc.'s 600 layoffs. He will leave the company after completing Money's December issue."

OCTOBER FINAL UPDATE

A bit late with my final October Update, but those of you who travel with some frequency do know how difficult it is to keep up.

Came back from the Bahamas and had two days to host a political dinner party for a small group of 50+ influential guests. That is my husband getting ready for the evening. I took the photo from the balcony of my bedroom.

Since entertaining is one of my passions, and I have accumulated all manner of serving and table equipment to accommodate 100, this group was a breeze to prepare for. As usual I did all the cooking, and if you ever get invited to a Caribbean household, you will know that in addition to discussing business, food is usual the centerpiece of the evening. Prepared a variety of dishes, and had enough left over to feed another 50.

In order to host the party, I had to cancel my trip to Trinidad where the Caribbean Tourism Conference was being held. This was of course a major disappointment for me not to be able to attend this prestigious event, as I am a member of the Executive Committee and Chairman of the CTO Foundation.

I am delighted that I was again elected to the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and do want to thank all the Allied Members for their support.

It was then off to Jamaica to attend the Half Moon Resort Ambassador Awards Gala.

BAHAMAS TRIP

I am always pleased and delighted when I have to go to the Bahamas. Getting off the plane, going through a very polite and gracious customs and then into beautiful sunshine and cool breezes always create an instant "I am never going to leave here" feeling. I constantly have to resist the urge to act like a child and just twirl around until I am picked up.

Of course I quickly get back to reality, knowing that my trip is about business and the Director of Romance will be there to greet me. She embodies everything that I aspire to be. Classy, sophisticated, charming, knowledgeable.

My evening ended with a dinner meeting of the members of the Bahamas Bridal Association at a lovely private home. And to top it all off it was held at poolside.

The next day was a conference on the bridal market and my visit was to address and participate in this event. Very informed group with a desire to be the best in the region, and I have no doubt that this will be accomplished. You can see some of the table settings displayed at this event.

The day ended with an elegant dinner in a private home with an impressive guest list. I was truly honoured to be invited. Unfortunately I had to leave the next morning as I had another commitment in another destination. It was a beautiful trip from beginning to end.

For this very brief trip I stayed at the Wyndham Hotel. While it is a very large hotel the surroundings are clean and the staff very gracious. The room was well kept and housekeeping did an excellent job in keeping the room spotless.

ECONOMY AND THE BRIDAL MARKET

With the continued downward trend of consumer confidence and the economy tanking at a fast clip, leisure travel is truly not top of mind with the American audience.

However, the bridal market seems to be bucking this trend, and from the emails and responses I get from the www.MarryCaribbean.com website and my discussion groups, couples are still planning on getting married and most important do not want to cut back at all on expenses.

The change that is most apparent is the seismic shift from magazines to online. More couples are now getting all information online. Hence the continued decline in newsstand sales from all the major magazines. I do predict that if this continues, more than one bridal publication will go out of business. Yesterday I reviewed the quarterly performance of these magazines, and it is difficult to see how they are going to stay in business, given the steep decline in revenue, pages and newsstand sales.

OCTOBER UPDATES

I have been extraordinarily busy this month. Usually coming into the Fall Season brings with it lots of business activities.

PRIME MINISTER OF JAMAICA
First, the Prime Minister of Jamaica was in New York for UN activities and of course there was a luncheon. Very personable and an excellent speaker. He spoke honestly about the problems of his country, and also the positives. Jamaica is a truly exceptional country, with fabulous beaches, world renowned music, great food, a rich cultural history and warm, friendly people.

What I like about this Prime Minister, although his bodygaurds were around, they did not interfere with the ease and flow of the luncheon. He mingled, he hugged, he was social and it was refreshing and pleasant.

THE ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL MARKETING EXECUTIVES
The next event was at the Yale Club for the Association of Travel Marketing Execuives luncheon forum, where I had the pleasure of welcoming all and updating them on the activities of the association. This is always an intellectually stimulating group and it did not disappoint. The topic "Doing More with Less" was so very on target, given the realities of our economic situation. It was good to see all my colleagues.

CARIBBEAN HOTEL ASSOCIATION
Decided at the last minute to attend the Caribbean Hotel Association Small Hotels Conference in St. Kitts.
I do love the Island of St.Kitts and the people are so very warm and friendly. Easy flight on American Airlines to this picturesque island. Stayed at the Marriott Hotel (the largest hotel on the island).

Would certainly recommend this hotel to anyone, has all the amenities, a lovely well trained staff, and deliver everything with a smile. I tried room service as I wanted to test their delivery system, and it did not disappoint. The young lady was quite prompt and she acted as if she enjoyed working with this company and you were the most important person in the world.

Would certainly recommend this hotel as a great place to stay on your honeymoon or have a destination wedding. Everything is in place, including a lovely beach.

The first night of arrival, attended a social function hosted by the Government of St. Kitts where the local talent was on display. Then it was on to a private dinner with the Minister of Tourism and the Prime Minister.

I should truly start another post just to discuss the excellent meal that evening and the restuarant on the water, run and operated by no other than Mr. Guishard who ran the famous Cap Juluca in Anguilla.

The Caribbean is blessed with a number of small hotels (80 rooms an under). These are wonderful owner operated businesses and the attention to detail and services you get from staying at these properties, provide the guest with a more comprehensive view and approach to the individual countries.

My Trip to Savannah, Georgia

My last child is now enrolled in the Savannah College of Art & Design. I decided to drive to Savannah in order to transport all her 'stuff' to make her new home a comfortable one. And it was truly eye opening to see what she could simply never leave behind. That being said, she is a real trouper and loves to travel.

We set out from Connecticut at approximately 10:am and kept up a pretty normal pace, while of course monitoring the numerous police cars on the way. I bought a new Garmin, and I will now never travel without one. This technology is awesome: it tells you when there is traffic jam ahead and divert you to less traveled roads. Love it!!

We decided to break up the trip and find a name brand hotel when we were both tired. Arrived in Virginia and stayed at the Holiday Inn around 5:00pm. The room was not bad, clean and relatively spacious. The young gentleman at the front desk was polite and friendly. Gave us a room on the ground floor and we could park our car park just outside the glass door. Very easy to take things back and forth to the car. Of course we left our pillows in the room. Today I received an email from the Holiday Inn about my stay, so I replied that I left my pillows and could they kindly send it to me. We will see.

Had dinner at the diner by the hotel - lots of heaping food on the plate. Not good for the heart, but easy on the palate. Visited my first Lowe's store, just needed to walk around a bit and since it was there decided to take a look and see if it delivered based on their ad campaign. Clean and organized.

Departed next morning at about 10:am for Savannah, after going back to the diner for a solid breakfast. Arrived in Savannah in one of their blinding rainstorms around 5:00pm. My other daughter was arriving from Atlanta and meeting us in Savannah. She decided that we should stay in a guest house instead of the usual hotel. Being open minded and up for all travel experiences, I said yes. Did not know what to expect but knowing her, a spectacular bathroom was very important to her.

Arrived at the appointed time and followed the instructions of ringing the doorbell on the second floor to retrieve the keys. A very charming gentleman opened the door and welcomed us in his home as if he knew us. I knew right then and there that the experience was going to be a positive one. My youngest daughter played with his dogs on the floor while we chatted. Finally he took us down to the first floor and opened the door for us. What an absolutely charming place.

The very large living room with a fireplace had the most comfortable sofa/pull out bed if we needed extra space. All the amenities including television. The bedroom was closed off with French doors and was seriously romantic. Of course this room also had a fireplace. But the icing on the cake was the bathroom. Beautiful and very clean. There was also a full kitchen (but if you had read my Barbados trip you would simply know that I am never a candidate for cooking outside of my home). The place was lovely and very convenient to all areas of Savannah. Would definitely stay there again.

Spent the next three days attending to the needs of a daughter in her first foray of living outside the home. Thank heavens my other daughter was with me, as she was invaluable with helping her sister to settle in and of course being the chauffeur all over Savannah. We visited the wildlife sanctuary - !twice! - as she loves nature and all its creatures. Overall, it was a sad trip as I was saying goodbye to my last child, but also a joyous and very pleasant one with two dynamic and funny daughters, trying to keep me entertained. We had a lovely dinner at a Thai restaurant called the King & I, on the last night and then set out at 4:am the next morning back to New York/Connecticut.

What an incredible young lady my other daughter is. With sixteen hours in the car, we covered every subject. Of course we also tried to find 'fine dining' along the way. Finally made it back to Manhattan where she lives and then I headed on to home. Would I do it again? Yes I would. My only regret, was that I did not have enough time to chat with the owner of the home. He seemed quite interesting and was very up on the arts and artifacts of Savannah. Would have liked to find out more about antiques. Oh, I forgot to mention, I did find a little time to buy some antique railings and glass objects.

Hurricane Update

Living in Paradise certainly does have a few drawbacks. But then you think of the Northeast in the United States with snow storms and you can see why visiting or living in the Caribbean, is a constant draw for visitors and residents alike.

The residents of the Caribbean are adept at living with this seasonal problem (hurricane) knowing full well that when the hurricane passes by, they are guaranteed warm weather and beautiful beaches. It is truly amazing, after a hurricane passes, if there are no downed trees or flooding, the sunshine and calm returns, just as if nothing happened.

For the past two years, the Caribbean has been spared this upheaval. It seems the United States is getting more of this weather phenomenon. Anyway, it is a season and this season usually ends in October.

The hotels and Governments of the respective Caribbean Islands, are adept at handling this seasonal problem and they all have emergency preparedness ready to assist each other and take care of their guests.

Unfortunately sometimes lives and properties are lost, but collectively they are a resilient lot.

Please do not hesitate to continue with your travel arrangements. You will not lose your deposit or any monies due to hurricane cancellation. All hotels and airlines make accommodations to their respective guests. So continue with your travel plans and most of all enjoy this Oasis of the Western Hemisphere - the Caribbean Islands.

BARBADOS TRIP

Due to the untimely death of a colleague Mr. Arley Sobers, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, I had to go to Barbados for the funeral. So very sad as he was a lovely gentleman. Admired him for his wit and intellect. Sad to say goodbye to him.

It was also unfortunate as I was the Wedding Planner and Mistress of Ceremonies for a wedding that was taking place on Saturday. Had to turn the responsibilities over to someone else.

Being the Weddingguru, I could not help but notice the improvements and hotel offerings in Barbados. Stayed at a small hotel called the Blue Orchid. Quite lovely with a friendly staff.

The room was relatively large, bathroom small, and there was a full kitchen with all the necessary appliances. The bed was kingsize and you could literally go across the street to the supermarket for groceries if you did not want to eat at the hotel /or perhaps save money.

For me, If I wanted to cook I would stay home. What makes this place so absolutely charming was the wonderful stretch of beach that you literally stepped out on. Crystal clear blue water and white powdery sand.

A great place to stay if you want to get away from it all, and if you have children and do want to cook, all the amenities are there.

Regarding the location of the property, it is situated in a lovely part of town with easy access to shopping and areas of interest.

Did visit the new Hilton Hotel. Large Hotel, lovely pool and rooms have ocean view.

Traveled via Air Jamaica to Barbados. Lovely airline. Cabin Crew very gracious, food not bad for an airline and headsets provided at no additional cost.

Reverend Jacqueline Johnson

As the Wedding Guru, I am now an Ordained Clergy Member of the Church of Spiritual Humanism, with the authority to perform weddings.

I am also applying to the State of Connecticut to become a Justice of the Peace. I love the business of weddings, love the drama and working with individuals to help them plan the happiest day of their life. I am the Wedding Planner for my best friend who will be getting married in another two weeks.

My role is guiding two people who have absolutely no idea on what to do. It involves dealing with the Priest, the catering, being the Master of Ceremonies and basically covering all bases.

I am so very excited for them, and just thrilled that I have been assigned the task to plan and execute the entire process.

www.MarryCaribbean.com & www.CaribbeanWeddingAssociation.com

I am absolutely delighted to let everyone know that both websites are fully operational and Marrycaribbean.com has been totally revamped. It has taken quite a few months, but it was worth it in the end.

http://www.MarryCaribbean.com is a website for couples planning to get mattied or honeymoon in the Caribbean. Marrycaribbean.com is designed to be the single source for wedding planning in the Caribbean and focuses exclusively on the Caribbean providing details on:

**Essential wedding planning services

**Passport information

**Marriage laws and customs

**Dining and nightlife

**Shopping

**Activities and all the amenities the Caribbean has to offer

http://www.CaribbeanWeddingAssociation.com is for members of professional organization dedicated to making the Caribbean the number one region for weddings and honeymoons.

CaribbeanWeddingAssociation.com encompasses the entire process of creating and organizing weddings from the selection and buying of media, to understanding the importance and strength of the marketplace, serving as a valuable resource for:

** Hoteliers

** Wedding coordinators

** Travel Agents

** Destination Marketers

** Professionals with an interest in targeting the bridal market,br>